SAP S/4HANA is designed to enable companies to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitization - especially with significantly faster data processing, real-time analyses, and the use of new technologies.
With SAP Leonardo, for example, SAP has created an innovation tool that provides applications for the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data analysis, among other things.
With the help of the SAP HANA platform, SAP S/4HANA can process and evaluate widely ramified data and information in real time, as well as make predictions, visualize data, and run simulations.
The high speed of the system also means that machine failures or stock shortages in the warehouse can be detected and rectified earlier. Companies can thus prevent costly interruptions to production.
In addition, SAP S/4HANA has a completely new user interface in the form of SAP Fiori: SAP Fiori is similar to conventional apps from the consumer sector and can be used by experienced users with virtually no training. And: SAP Fiori can be used not only with the computer in the office, but also mobile with smartphone or tablet.
Another advantage of SAP S/4HANA is that the system has a much simpler structure than SAP ERP 6.0 - both in terms of program and system architecture and with regard to the data model.
In comparison, this means that SAP S/4HANA has only half as many lines of code, data elements, and tables as SAP ERP 6.0. This "simpler" structure (as expressed in the "S" for "Simple" in the name) in turn results not only in higher response times, but also in lower maintenance requirements and a higher speed of innovation.
SAP has also improved the roles and rights system: each user now only receives access to those applications that are actually relevant to them.